


Inking in Love With You

by Noisesandvoices



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Soulmate AU, it's just fluff yall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 01:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12097620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noisesandvoices/pseuds/Noisesandvoices
Summary: Rafael wishes he could be excited about the words and drawings, wishes that the idea of a perfect person for him was exciting. But he hates how much the words make his stomach feel heavy and tight, because he knows who he wants the messages to be from.Soulmate!AuAnything you write on your skin appears on your other half





	Inking in Love With You

_Black_  
_Two sugars_  
 _Extra cream_

They were writing down coffee orders.

Coffee orders on their arm.

Why didn’t they just grab a piece of paper? Rafael would write that question in reply if these orders weren’t slowly covering the entirety of his arm. They did this almost everyday. Coffee orders, a note to pick up donuts or other snacks, a reminder about some paperwork they needed to drop off.

These words would start to appear on his forearms early in the morning. Messy, scratchy handwriting from his “soulmate” decorating his skin. Occasionally in the middle of the day he would be graced with a doodle. Random logos, smiling faces, or occasional rough portraits of people.

 _Went_ _through at least 40 different career options growing up and cartoonist was #26_

Rafael knew almost nothing about this other person, but that was mainly his own doing. Questions went unanswered; he almost never added to the markings decorating his body with his own, and after a while the person on the sending end of these notes took the hint and stopped asking personal questions.

He had only found out he even had a soulmate because of a single note he had scribbled onto his arm for himself one afternoon.

_Call Garcia and pick up more paper_

Almost immediately, he saw words start to take shape, slanted letters, messy lines blending into one another.

 _Holy shit it finally happened_  
_Are you seeing this?_  
_Who are you?_  
_This is incredible I have another half_

He had never run to the bathroom faster. He spent long, frantic minutes standing in front of the mirror panicked, scrubbing at his arms.

For a long time, his arms, legs, and hands—even his chest at one point—would be covered in questions. Eventually the sender realized he wasn’t going to answer, and the conversations became one sided.

Rafael wishes he could be excited about the words and drawings, wishes that the idea of a perfect person for him was exciting. But he hates how much the words make his stomach feel heavy and tight, because he knows who he wants the messages to be from.

He’s stuck in his head, trying not to think about the message _Have a good day_ sitting on his wrist when his train of thought gets interrupted with a distinct, “Counselor?”

Carisi’s got a small smile on his face, and a briefcase in his hand. He’s dressed sharp, very sharp. Why does he look so nice?

It’s not until Carisi laughs that Rafael realizes he voiced that thought out loud. “I’m, uh, shadowing you, remember? You told me to ‘try as hard as it may be to look somewhat decent’.”

Rafael nods slowly. “Yeah, that sounds like me.” He starts to stand up, gathering his things, trying to keep his eyes away from Carisi, trying to remind himself of the soulmate sitting on his wrist. “What’s the first rule of being a shadow?”

“No talking, no ideas.”

“Good, let’s go.”

“‘Course. But I was actually looking over the case again and I was thinking—”

“That sounds like an idea.”

“More of an observation.”

“Oh joy.” Rafael wants to be sincere in his sarcasm, but he doesn’t want Carisi to stop giving him ideas, to stop talking. He settles for an eye roll and a smile.

~~

He’s sitting at home, nursing yet another glass of scotch, replaying the conversation he had with Carisi yet again.

He doesn’t know why he asked. He had caught a glimpse of the message from his other half sitting on his wrist, faded a bit from where the writer had probably accidentally washed some ink away, and he simply couldn’t stop the words from leaving his mouth.

“Do you know your soulmate? Has it kicked in?”

“Yeah, yeah it has. They’re pretty quiet, nervous, I think.”

  
“Do they not talk to you?”

“Not really.”

  
“Does—Does that upset you?”

  
“No. I can wait. Plus I talk enough for the both of us.”

Carisi laughs at his own joke, eyes crinkling. Rafael hates how much he loves the sight and sound of Carisi. How much he just loves Carisi.

He blames the alcohol coursing through his system for providing the impetus for his desperate search to find a Sharpie. Upon finding one buried deep in his desk drawer, he starts to unbutton his shirt with clumsy fingers only to find one of his arms already covered in notes.

 _Thought about you today_  
_Hope you had a good day_  
_I did_  
_God I need to start working out again_  
_I should be writing on muscle_  
_Hope you’re okay with me not being a bodybuilder_

He doesn’t think as he scrawls on his blank arm, _I’m sorry I never talk._

A minute or so goes by with no response and he begins to panic. The first time he tries to talk and make an effort and he destroys the relationship.

He’s about to apologize when he sees words start to form.

_It’s alright. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to._

This was a good start. They were understanding. They were talking to him. He just had to sober up and not say anything stupid.

_I wish you were someone else_

What the fuck was he doing?

He draws line after line through his words, trying to disfigure them enough that his soulmate wouldn’t notice them or be able to read them. He can tell he failed when he sees a new sentence starting to take shape across his skin.

_It’s okay. I can’t expect you to have stayed single until our connection kicked in._

_I am single._

A moment of no response before, _But you’re chasing after someone else._

_Sort of, yeah._

His other arm starts to clear up as his soulmate starts washing the marker away to make room for more messages.

_I’m kind of in the same boat._

_Then why do you keep talking to me?_

_1 part the hopeless romantic in me 1 part hoping that you’re him._

_I’m not that lucky_

Rafael looks back to the arm he first wrote on, seeing his soulmate’s messages disappearing, leaving only his own. He can't help but think it's a bit presumptuous for them to assume that there needs to be more room to talk, but as he's having this thought he finds himself in the bathroom washing away his own remarks.

He doesn’t know why he asks his next question. Maybe it’s because the scotch is dropping him into a pool of self-pity and he wants to torture himself. _Who are they?_

_A lawyer I work with_

_Defense?_

_Nah, prosecution. Hates defense_

Rafael wants to slap himself for jumping to the conclusion that he does. Because it’s not realistic; he’s never that lucky.

_What are they like?_

The next message appears on his thigh.

_Kind of an asshole, but I can tell he likes me. At least I hope he does._

He laughs at that, finding himself liking this guy. Maybe it’s because he’s placing a face to these messages, one with bright eyes and a wide, lopsided smile. Imagining the words said from the couch cushion next to him, spoken through laughs and yawns, all tinged with a Staten Island accent.

_What do they look like?_

He knows he should just end this, ask for a name, learn that this is a coincidence. But he wants to live in the fantasy world he's created for himself.

_Hold on, need a pen instead of a marker._

A minute or so passes before a sketch starts to form on his other thigh. They’re taking their time, placing more detail in this drawing than in the random doodles of strangers they normally do. Rafael finds himself engrossed in the process, watching the lines starting to take shape, watching a portrait start to form.

A portrait of him.

He’s looking at himself.

The drawing is just of him from the shoulders up, looking away, the smooth lines turning into messy scribbles once it hits where his drawing counterpart’s collarbone should be, but it's him.

They drew him with a rare smile—teeth showing, bright, eyes crinkled—but it’s him.

It's him.

He can’t believe he’s only now asking, _What’s your name?_

_Dominick, but everyone calls me Sonny._

Rafael feels the breath sucked out of him. His lungs empty, his chest lightens, his mind suddenly sobers.

He has to respond, has to tell Sonny who he's talking to. The second he has that realization, he's panicked all over again, stressed that he’s going to mess this up, send the wrong idea.

His mind supplies several possible confessions:

“Sonny you just drew a picture of me.”

“I'm not an asshole.”

“I love you. I've never been so happy.”

He settles on _No one calls you that Carisi_

Nothing. No response. Blank skin.

He’s trying to think of how to salvage this when a new message pops in.

 _You cannot tell Barba about this_  
  
A laugh escapes him as the words spread across his skin.

_Too late considering I’m him_

He’s stuck waiting as Sonny goes to wash his arms once more. He starts searching for his phone, thrown somewhere on his couch. He’s ready to call Sonny and talk like normal people do, when he finally gets a response.

 _Shit._  
This is clearly what I wanted.  
I am so sorry Barba

_Why are you sorry?_

_This isn’t what you wanted_

_God yes it is_

There’s nothing again, only for a few agonizing moments this time, before _Can I come over?_ blooms across his skin.

_It’s nearly 1 am Carisi_

_Tomorrow?_

He can’t help the smile on his face as he writes, _Tomorrow_.

_Sleep well Barba_

_Call me Rafael_

_Call me Sonny_

_In your dreams_

_Every night_

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first Barisi fic that I'm actually posting (I mainly spend my time screaming in the discord) So shout out to tobeconspicuous and lawyerboyfriends for beta-ing for me y'all are the absolute sweetest.  
> Kudos and comments appreciated <3


End file.
